Francis of Assisi (1961)

Directed by Michael Curtiz. Starring Bradford Dillman, Stuart Whitman, Dolores Hart, Eduard Franz, Cecil Kellaway, Finlay Currie, Athene Seyler, Pedro Armendáriz.

A wealthy young man assisting on a military mission in 13th-century Italy is commanded by a voice in his head to give up his worldly possessions and devote himself to God, so he does, eventually founding the religious orders of the Franciscans. Michael Curtiz doesn’t direct so much as point and pile; the CinemaScope color is far more vibrant than the script. As St. Francis, cast-against-type Dillman’s dullness of piety extends even to the naysayers who feel angered and betrayed by the abrupt conversion. St. Francis’ sanitized and simplified exploits lack the two ingredients needed to make the thousand-yard gaze of the star’s frequently monotone performance agreeable: wisdom and conviction. Nevertheless, co-star Dolores Hart was clearly moved by the experience—within a couple years of filming, she’d leave Hollywood and become a nun! Filmed in Italy.

44/100